Author: Dose

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Series highlights: Anthony Stolarz threw up on the bench

Last night, the lottery was on.

An hour later, however, the second round got underway: the Leafs took on the Panthers.

Toronto won by a score of 5-4.

The Leafs may have won, but they lost their number one goalie.

Sam Bennett collided with Anthony Stolarz and he left the game.

He threw up on the bench moments later. He was even taken to the hospital.

Sounds like a concussion….

Joseph Woll came on in relief and stopped 17 of the 20 shots directed at him.

William Nylander took charge of the attack. He got the ball rolling in the opening seconds.

He finished the game with two goals and an assist.

Matthew Knies scored the winning goal.

Both teams will be back in action tomorrow, again in Toronto.

Extension

– Chris Dickey Tanev.

– The 17 scorers of the game.

(Credit: NHL.com )

– Two series start tonight.

(Credit: NHL.com )
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Trading Patrik Laine for Steven Stamkos: Antoine Roussel’s (spectacular) idea

When you look at what’s in store for Kent Hughes and the Habs this summer, there’s a lot of talk about a possible forward. The club needs a second center behind Nick Suzuki, and even if management didn’t want to paint itself into a corner this morning by talking about options other than a center, we know it’s a need.

And above all, this is no longer the time for projects: it takes established guys, even if it means paying more.

That said, the club will also have to decide what to do with Patrik Laine. Kent Hughes is right when he says that the Habs wouldn’t have made the playoffs without Laine, but even so, we’ve seen how he can become a problem for the Habs at 5-on-5.

Today, Laine’s case was the talk of Sortie de zone… and Antoine Roussel, who was among the panelists, had a rather spectacular idea: he would trade Laine for… Steven Stamkos.

Yes, the Steven Stamkos who’s signed for three more years at $8 million a year and who’s just had a difficult first year in Nashville.

Roussel, who would withhold part of Laine’s salary (but not Stamkos’), sees this as a simple way to make everyone happy: Stamkos would solve the Canadiens’ second-center problem and he could replace Laine’s offensive production, and for Nashville, it would allow the club to get an out after a difficult first year in town for Stamkos.

Basically, it makes sense… but it would be a huge risk for the Habs.

Stamkos is now 35 and has just had a difficult first year away from Tampa Bay. He scored 27 goals and 53 points in 82 games, which isn’t horrible… but he finished the campaign with a -37 differential.

Laine, who got stoned for his 5-on-5 play, had a -14 differential in 52 games. It’s not a perfect statistic, but it gives you an idea.

Unless Martin St-Louis is convinced that his former teammate is part of the solution for his club, picking up a guy coming off such a season and with such a contract is a huge risk for the Habs. There’s a world out there in which Stamkos is traded to Montreal and has some great years… but is that really the kind of gamble the club wants to take?

And that’s not counting the fact that Stamkos has a no-movement clause and that Laine may have Nashville among the 10 teams he’d refuse to be traded to…

We were talking about avoiding projects: Stamkos is no longer a guarantee at this stage of his career. He’s probably, at best, a slightly better Laine who plays center… and paying $8 million a year for three more years for that would be a huge risk for the Habs.

Might as well wait until Laine’s contract is up in a year (or, at the very least, buy him out this summer, although I don’t believe in that) and reinvest that money elsewhere, right?

Overtime

– If Matthew Schaefer arrives… could the Islanders be more open to trading Noah Dobson?

– I expect him to be #2 next year.

– Great read.

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“The Juraj Slafkovský contract was a worse mistake than the Patrik Laine trade”

Juraj Slafkovský has been an important piece of the Habs’ plan since he was selected first overall by the Habs in 2022. The club needs the Slovak to become the elite power winger he’s capable of being… because the kid has a rare profile.

Talented big forwards aren’t a dime a dozen.

And after a solid second season in the NHL, the Canadiens’ decision to sign Slaf on a long-term basis was a welcome one. At $7.6 million a year for eight years, it has the potential to be a real bargain, especially with the salary cap set to rise significantly over the next few years.

However, there are those who, today, are less satisfied with this contract. One of them is JiC, who talked about it in his end-of-season review of the Habs… and who clearly doesn’t like the fact that the kid already has such a big contract in his pocket.

In fact, in his eyes, the decision to offer this contract is even worse than taking Patrik Laine’s contract… and no, he’s not saying that because he’s a fan of Laine’s contract.

He explains this by saying that seeing Slaf regress a bit in his first post-signing season makes it not look great today. He wonders if they would have offered him the same contract this summer… or if they would have opted for a transition contract.

The question certainly arises… but the club had to take that gamble. Let me explain.

When you look at the current state of the Habs, you see that if the club wants to become a contender one day, it needs Slafkovský to become the big, elite power forward we had in mind when we selected him. As we saw against the Capitals, this club needs big men who can make a difference… and Slaf fits the bill.

It’s not for nothing thatwe’re talking more than ever about keeping players with dogs in town: they’ll be needed if the club is to take a step forward.

In recent months, Slaf has proven that he can be an important element on a quality line, as he was part of one of the NHL’s best trios following the 4 Nations Confrontation. Without being the piece on this line, he’s had his moments… and for a youngster who’s just turned 21, it’s already encouraging to see all this.

Would we have liked to see more of Slafkovský this season? Yes. But can the Habs become the aspirational team they aspire to be without Slaf being a big part of the equation? Probably not, no.

Maybe the club could have signed him for less money this summer, but instead of straining the relationship between the team and one of its most important projects, the executives probably preferred to settle the matter before it came to a head.

Will it age badly? Possibly… but the gamble was worth it nonetheless. Now it’s up to Slaf, who will play the first season of his new contract next year, to live up to the expectations placed in him.

Overtime

– Great reading.

– It’ll be cool to see.

– One to watch.

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Lottery: yes, it’s normal if you don’t understand anything in front of your TV set!

In the final minutes, we were treated to the NHL draft lottery. While last year’s lottery was pretty much unchanged, this year’s lottery was much more chaotic.

The Islanders, who had a 3.5% chance of winning the lottery, inherited the first pick… while Utah went from 14th to 4th in the second lottery. As for the Habs, logic was respected: they inherited the 16th pick (from the Flames), while the club also owns the 17th pick.

In short, a team without a GM and a team without a name won both lotteries tonight… but even so, it wasn’t the most chaotic aspect of the evening. That’s because the most chaotic aspect of the evening was… the lottery in general.

For the first time this year, the abacus exercise was performed live. Normally, this is done earlier in the day and only the results are broadcast in the evening… but the NHL wanted to do something different this year.

Did they do it to prove to everyone that the process isn’t rigged? Possibly. We know that the league has been criticized for this in the past, without any real basis for it.

But the whole thing seemed pretty complicated… and at times, it was hard to understand what we were witnessing. Even experienced reporters on a team’s beat found it hard to follow, at times.

That said, we have to admit that there was a slightly more exciting aspect to seeing the abacus sequence. The league managed to build anticipation before drawing the last ball of each draw, and to make it clear which team each ball was associated with.

It wasn’t unpleasant… even if it did take a while for the cake to rise.

The Islanders, though, won’t complain. The club has hit the jackpot… and with a GM vacancy, having the first overall pick is likely to interest some candidates.

Will the club opt for Matthew Schaefer, seen as the best prospect of the crop? James Hagens, a Long Island native? Or will they make a deal to inject talent into a group that sorely needs it?

Whoever succeeds Lou Lamoriello will have to make that decision… but at least the club can say it had a good night.

At least, a better one than the Predators, for example, who went from the 3rd pick to the 5th after two lotteries. And when you look at it that way, you can tell that the Habs chose their year well to emerge from a chaotic lottery… because if it had been the same scenario last year, Ivan Demidov would probably be far from Montreal right now.

Extension

If you missed it, here are the complete lottery results. The Islanders and Utah made big gains, the Sharks and Blackhawks both dropped one spot, the Canucks and Flames (whose pick will go to the Habs) didn’t budge, and all other teams dropped two spots.

A far cry from last year’s status quo, shall we say.

Although the Sharks and Blackhawks dropped one spot, the fact that they didn’t win the lottery tonight may be better news than you think, given that they’ll be able to win the lottery again next year.

And with Gavin McKenna set to be the crown jewel of next year’s crop…

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Official: Habs get 16th pick in next draft

The NHL draft lottery took place this evening. For the first time since 2021, the Habs’ pick wasn’t part of the lottery… but there were still implications for the Montreal team.

In fact, the club had to keep an eye on the Flames’ pick, which had the 16th best chances of winning the lottery. In the (very probable) event that this pick didn’t win the lottery, it would belong to the Habs.

And had it won the lottery, the Flames would have kept their pick (which would have become 6th overall)… and the Habs would have ended up with the Panthers’ first-round pick.

Obviously, the Habs wanted to avoid a miracle… and the good news is that logic prevailed: the Flames’ pick didn’t win the lottery.

The Habs will therefore officially have the 16th pick in the next draft… and, at the same time, the transaction that brought Sean Monahan to Montreal is now complete.

In addition to the 16th pick, the Habs also have their own first-round pick, which was already guaranteed to be 17th. That means the club has two consecutive mid-first-round picks… for now.

Because we know that in Montreal, the idea of seeking immediate reinforcement via trade is being considered by management… and these two picks provide a nice bargaining chip for Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton.

I don’t expect the Habs to keep their two picks. I expect at least one of them to be traded between now and the draft… and I wouldn’t be surprised if both leave if they can bring the Habs a big payday.

The club is no longer in the rebuilding stage where it has to keep drafting a ton of players: it has to coach its young core, which has already arrived in town.

Let’s see what the next few weeks hold for the Habs, but the good news is that they have a nice trade chip with two consecutive mid-first-round picks. Receiving the Panthers’ late first-round pick would have made for a much less attractive trade.

Extension

In addition to the 16th and 17th picks, the Canadiens also hold a ton of other picks in the upcoming draft.

Here are all the club’s picks for the upcoming draft:

16th (Sean Monahan trade)

17e

41st (Mike Hoffman trade)

49e

79th (Casey DeSmith trade)

81e

82nd (Jake Allen trade)

108th (Jeff Petry trade)

113e

145e

177e

209e

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Lane Hutson among the finalists for the Calder Trophy

Tonight is draft lottery night in the NHL. Of course, we were watching to see which team would get the first pick in the amateur auction… but the Habs were also watching to see if they’d actually get the 16th pick in the deal that brought Sean Monahan to Montreal.

As long as the Flames didn’t win the lottery, that’s what would happen. Otherwise, the Panthers’ pick would have gone to Montreal.

But during the draft lottery, the NHL also announced the three finalists for the Calder Trophy. And that, too, was something to keep an eye on for the Canadiens, because Lane Hutson had a (very) serious chance of being one of the nominees.

And, as it happens, that’s exactly what happened: the Habs’ little defenseman is one of the three finalists.

Macklin Celebrini and Dustin Wolf are the other two… and Matvei Michkov is not.

It’s not necessarily a surprise to see Hutson among the finalists considering he amassed 66 points (including 60 assists, an NHL record for a rookie defenseman) in 82 games. The Habs took a giant leap forward this year, thanks in large part to the brilliance of their rookie defenseman.

The defenseman led all NHL rookies in points this year. Celebrini and Michkov, who are forwards, each scored 63 points, three fewer than the Habs’ #48.

Of course, you might think that Hutson is the favorite to win right now. That said, the competition is strong… and we’ll have to see if he’s beaten by one of the other two finalists, who also had an excellent campaign.

But for Hutson, it’s a fine feat to add to a magnificent first season… and above all, let’s not forget that he could collect a big bonus if he wins the Calder.

And at the dawn of negotiations for a long-term contract, coming to the table on the strength of a Calder Trophy win would give him a strong argument for breaking the bank.

Overtime

– That’s right.

– Interesting.

– Well deserved for the Cavaliers’ NBA coach.

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Yanick Bouchard officially suspended by RDS and 98.5 FM

Last Friday, we learned that Yanick Bouchard was in hot water. By now, you’re probably familiar with the situation.

Since then, his regular sports commentary appearances have been suspended. He was mainly known as Patrick Lagacé’s sports contributor at 98.5 FM and as co-host of RDS’s 5 à 7.

And today, journalist Sarah-Émilie Nault (JdeQ) reports that he has been relieved (indefinitely) of his duties at Cogeco.

This morning, there was a meeting with all the station’s employees to discuss the situation. Between you and me, management is tired of having to put out fires like this.

It’s only natural.

Does he still have a future at 98.5? The question arises when you consider that, unlike Jeremy Filosa and Louis Lacroix, who also caused a stir this season, Yanick Bouchard is not unionized.

So reassigning him elsewhere until the storm passes is less likely.

Jérémie Rainville is currently replacing Bouchard, who must surely want to keep his name out of the news as little as possible. And to replace Rainville, Jean-Sébastien Hammal has been placed on the weekend.

How long will this formula last? We’ll see.

While we’re on the subject of 98.5, it’s worth noting that Louis Lacroix won’t be returning as radio host this summer. It’s easy to make connections with what happened on the heels of the Super Bowl.

For the time being, 98.5 is considering giving the summer morning mandate to someone in-house. Among the names circulating are JS Hammal and Jean-François Baril.

Marie-Claude Lavallée would have the mid-morning slot and Élizabeth Crête, Alain’s daughter, would be lined up for the return slot.

And while nothing has been confirmed, don’t be too quick to dismiss the possibility of Denis Lévesque returning to the media landscape, as Cogeco is considering placing him in the midday slot.

extension

We also learn from the Journal de Québec that RDS has announced that he won’t be on 5 à 7 tonight. And as a matter of fact, if you watch the show, you’ll see that he’s not there tonight.

It’s Patrick Mahoney who’s in his seat right now.

You have to wonder if he’ll be back by the end of the show’s season, and if he’ll be back next year. After all, the bosses at RDS have been evaluating the possibility of going to a single host for years.

Perhaps this event could tip the balance.

But at the same time, we have to bear in mind that if he were to return in four months’ time, when regular programming will be back, time might have run out for him to get back to work.

We’ll see in due course.

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All-Star Weekend 2026 replaced: New York state governor angry

We all know: NHL All-Star Weekend is a dull affair.

The skills competition and the game itself have lost popularity over the years because it’s always the same old thing.

That’s why this year’s Confrontation des 4 Nations was such a success. Fans were treated to some top-quality hockey, and it felt good.

Seeing how well it worked, the NHL seems to have made a big decision.

Because according to what Emily Kaplan reports on X, the 2026 All-Star Weekend will be replaced by an “international event”.

A league source had this to say to the ESPN reporter:

It will be a spectacular international event. – Anonymous NHL source

Not everyone is happy about this news.

In fact… Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New York, isn’t too happy about this news.

In an open letter sent to Gary Bettman, Kathy Hochul deplores the fact that the league wants to replace the All-Star Game with an international event.

She argues that this will affect the economic benefits that were planned for the All-Star weekend, and so she asks the league to “reconsider the situation” as soon as possible.

Kathy Hochul is also disappointed that the NHL made this decision without consulting New York State:

But hey. You have to wonder what the NHL wants to do with an “international event”.

We know the event will be held at the home of the New York Islanders, since that’s basically where All-Star Weekend 2026 was supposed to take place.

But we don’t know much beyond that yet.

So I can’t wait to see what Gary Bettman has in store for us… because the league wants to find a way to make a splash for the right reasons.

For me, it’s mainly the “spectacular” part that turns me on, because we also know that the NHL has set the bar high with the 4 Nations Confrontation.

And I’m having trouble guessing what’s going to happen next, but it doesn’t matter: just seeing the NHL try other things is already a good step forward.

I wonder how much of this was due to Nikita Kucherov’s c*licer at the All-Star Game in 2024…

Overtime

– I love these moments.

– What do you think?

– Not strong!

– Good.

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Georges Laraque: “Forget Marner in Montreal”

Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes said it (again) this morning, as part of their annual end-of-season review.

This summer, the Habs want to add talent to their line-up.

Management will be working hard to inject talent into the team’s top-6, and there will be candidates all over the league to make it happen.

Of the lot?

Mitch Marner… who will be eligible to test the free agent market on July 1 if he hasn’t signed a new contract with the Leafs.

And on that note, let’s remember that Chris Johnston believes the CH is “hungry for another game-changing player” like Mitch Marner.

Maybe the CH will be in the running for his services this summer.

We also know that the Habs will have room under the payroll to make a big splash.

And Marner in Montreal, on the same line as Ivan Demidov, would make some people salivate. We’re talking about a player who has averaged 95 points over the last four NHL seasons…

Georges Laraque and Stéphane Gonzalez also discussed the subject today on BPM Sports.

And in Laraque’s eyes, this project should be forgotten for one reason in particular: Marner won’t sign in Montreal because the Habs are the Leafs’ sworn enemy.

Georges Laraque, who has already found himself in a similar situation during his NHL career, finds it hard to see Mitch Marner agreeing to the terms of a contract with the Tricolore in the context of his playing in Toronto since the start of his career.

That makes sense.

But where I see it being illogical is in terms of salary.

Mitch Marner, right now, has all the arguments on his side to sign a contract that will pay him a LOT of money per year. He’s among the NHL’s elite, he’s been one of the league’s top scorers for several years, and at 28, he’s going to want to sign the best contract (money-wise) possible.

I can’t see Kent Hughes paying him a salary of $12, $13 or even $14 million per season with the upcoming contracts.

Because let’s not forget one thing: Suzuki, Caufield and Slaf are already under contract and they’re going to earn more than $7.5 M per season each in the next few years… and there’s also Demidov’s and Hutson’s contracts, which are going to be very, very expensive.

I’d like to see Mitch Marner score 100 points a season in Montreal. Don’t get me wrong.

But it has to make sense too…

In gusto

– Oh.

– To be continued.

– Too cute.

– I love it!

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Kent Hughes admits it: Ivan Demidov’s last few weeks have been incredible

It’s been a busy few weeks for Ivan Demidov.

The young Canadien finished his season in the KHL and then signed his first NHL contract with the Habs.

Very quickly, in fact.

Fans waiting for him at the hotel, his first career NHL points, playing in the playoffs against the Washington Capitals and seeing Josh Anderson and Tom Wilson battle it out on the bench, Martin St-Louis deciding to promote him to the first power play unit in Patrik Laine’s absence….

Yikes. Demidov hasn’t had much chance to rest since arriving in Montreal, and it’s a period of adaptation that can be difficult for anyone.

Kent Hughes talked about this in his end-of-season review, and you can tell from his words that he recognizes that Demidov has had to go through some pretty rocky times.

But Demidov did it like a pro too.

He was able to keep a cool head, he performed relatively well on the ice in the playoffs even though he didn’t play much, and he didn’t look like a guy who was mixed up for all that.

Which could have happened.

The good news in all this is that the youngster can take a breather right now.

He’ll have all summer to familiarize himself with his new environment, and he’ll have time to get his bearings after what must have been a stressful few weeks.

Demidov will arrive at the next training camp with a clearer head, and this should help him to adapt well to the organization.

Still, even though he may have had his head in the clouds in recent weeks, we’ve seen just how talented a player he is.

He had “only” two points in his first five playoff games, but still: it almost looked easy for him at times.

And if Demidov arrives at the next training camp with a lighter spirit… it could yield some really interesting results.

In gusto

– Good listening!

– Hello, Sid 👀

– Indeed.

– Andrew Brunette keeps his job in Nashville.

– Sick!

– Of note.